Peanut The Cat Rescued From 80 Feet Up By MA Arborist

SHERBORN, MA — After spending several hours stuck 80 feet up near the top of a very tall tree, Peanut the cat has been safely reunited with her family thanks to a Massachusetts arborist who moonlights as a feline superhero.

Peanut, an 8-year-old barn cat, became stuck in a white pine tree Sunday, her owners told WCVB 5. When the commotion caused by the Sherborn Fire Department's rescue attempt only scared her farther up the tree, her owners turned to Andrew Joslin, owner of Tall Pines Tree School in Carlisle.

He tried tempting her with sardines, but it didn't work. After several rescue attempts, Joslin set up a cat trap near the trunk, according to WCVB.

An hour later, Peanut and Joslin were back on solid ground.

Why do cats get stuck in trees so often? Since cats are natural-born predators, they may chase prey up a tree without realizing what they've gotten themselves into. They may also climb trees when they feel threatened.

While climbing up is easy for cats, climbing down is a different story.

Here are a few strategies that you can use to help get your cat out of a tree:

1. Lure her with food. Warming up some wet food slightly will increase the aroma so you can coax cats down from the tree faster in most cases.
2. Climb up after her, but only do this if you're physically able, and never do it without assistance.
3. Make a ramp. This strategy is much less risky to you and less risky to the cat than climbing up after him.
4. Call for help. If the cat is too agitated or too high up, turn to the professionals. Call the fire department or contact your local animal shelter for more resources.